I Will See You Face To Face and Be Satisfied

November 24, 2015

I Will See You Face To Face and Be Satisfied

“Because I am righteous, I will see you.

    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.”

Psalm 17:15

Many commentators believe Jesus is revealed in Psalm 17, because only Jesus can pray with such confidence, “You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong . . . My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you . . .  Because I am righteous, I will see you” (Psalm 17:3,5,15). I don’t disagree.

However, I also read Psalm 17 as an expression of David’s child-like faith:   strong faith, Biblical faith, but also child-like faith. I suspect David wrote this psalm while still in his youth. Later in his life David is much more acutely aware of his own sin, as in Psalm 32 when he seeks forgiveness for his sin with Bathsheba.

David’s faith is the defining characteristic of the Book of Psalms. David has an absolute trust in God. David is not in denial, he knows he has adversaries and that his adversaries are enemies of God. However, David fully expects that God will vindicate him. He trusts God to be both judge and the executor of divine judgment. This is the same trust the Apostle Paul proclaimed when he wrote, “for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return” (2 Timothy 1:12).

There are two thoughts I take with me from Psalm 17. First, while God most definitely has expectations for my witness for Christ and my participation as a co-laborer with Christ building for the Kingdom of God; ultimately, the battle is not mine. The battle is the Lord’s. Secondly, because of the immeasurable love of Christ, I am now and forever more the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, I can rejoice with the psalmist in saying:

“Because I am righteous, I will see you.

    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.”

Psalm 17:15

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

A Little Spiritual Experiment

 Meditations: Nov 20-30, 2015. Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message Bible translation, recently wrote, “Everything that a person can possibly feel, experience, and say is brought into expression before God in the Psalms.” Inspired by Peterson’s comment, my next seven meditations are from the Psalms.  

November 23, 2015

A Little Spiritual Experiment

“From the mouth of infants and nursing babes

You have established strength”

Psalm 8:2 (NASB)

Whenever I read Psalm 8, I recall two personal experiences with its majesty. First, I remember a time when I had been visiting churches in Mexico several miles south of Matamoros. It was late on a Sunday evening and I had just finishing preaching in the last church for the day. My host took me to the home of one of his parishioners for supper. There was no ambient light and it was very dark. As I looked up into the night sky I was overwhelmed with the beauty, the majesty, of countless thousands of stars. My host immediately began quoting Psalm 8:3,

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—“

The second experience was my discovery of Jesus in this Psalm. The New Testament writers clearly thought Jesus was the mortal described in vv. 5-8. (See 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22; and Hebrews 2: 5-8) Also, Jesus quoted this psalm, but in doing so added his own interpretation. His insight has fascinated me for years.

Verse 2 states, 

“From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength” (NASB). 

At Matthew 21:16, Jesus quotes this verse saying,  

“Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’” (NASB).

So which is it? Has God ordained strength, or praise, out of the mouths of infants and babes?

Yes. Our strength comes from our praise of the LORD. This Thanksgiving week is a great time to try a little spiritual experiment. As you give thanks for each meal, each day this week, let your prayer be one of thanking God for His goodness and mercy, and for the blessings He has brought into your life. Try this everyday through Thanksgiving Day, although I bet you don’t stop there!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

God’s Nature

Meditations: Nov 20-30, 2015. Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message Bible translation, recently wrote, “Everything that a person can possibly feel, experience, and say is brought into expression before God in the Psalms.” Inspired by Peterson’s comment, my next seven meditations are from the Psalms.  

November 20, 2015

God’s Nature

“Oh, the joys of those who delight in the law of the LORD,

meditating on it day and night”

Psalm 1:1-2

Jesus’ prayer life was grounded in scripture, especially the Book of Psalms. In his teaching, Jesus quotes from the Psalms more than twenty times.  If we want to go deeper into the heart of Christ and the mind of Christ, the Psalms will teach us much. As we begin this short journey through the Psalms, we find Jesus described in the very first psalm.

While some newer Bibles translate verse one gender neutral as “happy are those” or “blessed are those”, the original text uses a word that is very gender specific and should be translated, “Blessed is the man.” Jesus is this perfect man who delights “in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” As followers of Jesus, yielding ourselves to be transformed to become like him, Psalm 1 gives us a clear example of how to order our lives. Seriously? Is it really possible for a mortal human being to get excited about meditating on God’s law day and night?

When the Psalmist refers to ‘the law’ they do not mean just the Ten Commandments or other rules and regulations aimed at restricting certain behaviors. They mean law, as in God’s nature. God is love. God’s nature is to forgive. God’s law includes His love that cannot fail; His Word that does not return to Him void; and His mercies that never come to an end. The Psalmist has in mind the law of God that looked at a world that did not exist and spoke it into being by the power of His Word. The law of God is summed up in one verse: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The Psalmist pronounces God’s blessing on those who take time to reflect on all the ways you have experienced God’s law, His nature in your life. Mediate on how you have experienced His mercies and forgiveness, His favor and how you know God to be your Shepherd. Take time to remember that the LORD watches over your path and then you will agree with the Psalmist in saying “Oh, the joys of those who delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night” Psalm 1:1-2).

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

Let Us Be Inspired By Job

November 19, 2015

Let Us Be Inspired By Job

When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

Job 42:10

When Job lost almost everything he valued in life, three friends came to him and offered their opinions on Job’s predicament. From their perspective, Job was under the judgment of God, and therefore he must have sinned. Job knew he had not sinned, and we can well imagine how painful it must have been for Job to be so accused while in the midst of his deep grief. At the end of Job’s story, God confronts Job’s three friends and points out to them the error of their ways. God conditions His forgiveness of the three friends on their going to Job and seeking his forgiveness, and on Job’s response. Job receives his friends and prays for them.

Saint Paul makes clear in Romans 8 that nothing has the power to separate us from the love of God. Yet we all experience times when we, like Job, feel estranged from God. Most of the time, not always, but most of the time, the estrangement is on us because we are prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love. However, there are times when God is very, very still. During these times we may feel estranged, but God is surely present and helping us to be grounded in His Word and not just our feelings of closeness to God. In either case, in these times we are highly susceptible to being hurt by others. May Job be our model for life in such times.

Job’s encounter with his three friends is somewhat unique in that they came to him seeking forgiveness. However, they didn’t go to Job on their own initiative; God sent them to Job. Neither those who may hurt us, nor we, when we have hurt others will always have the spiritual sensitivity to take the first step in seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. But we do know when we have been hurt by others; therefore, let us be inspired by Job’s spiritual awareness and take the first step and pray for those who have hurt us. Let’s ask God to empower us to forgive, and let’s pray for God’s abundant blessings to flow into the lives of those who have hurt us. Let’s trust God to take our case from there.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.